Shaped cushion



Dec. 15, 1942. A. KRAKAUER 2,305,013

SHAPED CUSHION Filed June 20, 1940 VENTOR -Jbrakam firakauer ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 15, 1942 SHAPED CUSHION Abraham Krakauer, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Kay Manufacturing Corporation, Brooklyn, N. 75., a corporation of New York Application June 20, 1940, Serial No. 341,406

4 Claims.

This invention relates to the inner spring units of cushions and mattresses and particularly to means for changing the shape of the'marginal edges and walls of the spring unit from a rectangular shape to another different shape.

The inner spring units of spring cushions and mattresses are usually made of generally rectangular outline on a production basis for economy since the majority of such cushions are of such outline. With the advent of modern types and styles of furniture, however, there has been an increasing demand for cushions of other shapes such as circular, elliptical, polygonal and the like. The upholsterer who occasionally requires a cushion of irregular shape as for a chair, sofa or the like article of furniture, has heretofore been compelled to obtain an especially shaped inner spring unit at an increase in cost over standard units and with the delay incident to the filling of special orders, or he must stuff padding or other stuffing material between the marginal Walls of the standard inner spring unit and the corresponding but outwardly spaced and differently shaped marginal walls of the cushion. Stufilng or padding is an unsatisfactory means for shaping the edge portions of the cushion having an inadequate supporting efiect and being only temporarily effective.

To overcome these difliculties, my invention contemplates the provision of an additional suitably shaped frame wire secured to and arranged outwardly of the border wire of the standard rectangular spring unit together with means for connecting the frame Wire to an adjacent spring and the border wire of the spring unit for suitably bracing the shaped frame wire in an inexpensive and effective manner, whereby the edge of the cushion in which the resulting unit is used, is permanently and adequately braced.

My invention further contemplates the provision of a bracing wire member provided with a suitable hooked spring-engaging portion extending into the spring unit and with a portion extending outwardly of the unit and adapted to be clipped or otherwise secured to a marginal frame wire of any desired shape.

My invention further contemplates the provision of simply and easily assembled means for securing an auxiliary shaped marginal frame wire to a spring unit to provide suitable bracing auxiliary wire for suitably bracing said auxiliary wire, the whole being adapted for quick and easy ly thereof, and having its spring-engaging end frictionally maintained in place by spring action.

The various objects of the invention will be clear from the description which follows and from the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a portion of a conventional inner spring unit to which my invention has been applied.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the hook-like bracing member.

In the practical embodiment of the invention shown by way of example, the standard inner spring unit consists conventionally of a series of rows [9, H and the like of coil springs [2. The respective corresponding top and bottom coils of the springs of adjacent rows are suitably connected as by the helical springs 8 or the like well known means. A border wire I3 at the top of the unit connects the topcoils of the marginal springs, being secured thereto by means of suitable clips 84, and a similar border wire l5 similarly connects the bottom coils of the marginal springs.

Since the springs are customarily arranged in straight rows, the marginal wires l3 and I5 are therefore usually of square or rectanguler outline. When, however, a unit of other than square or rectangular outline is desired, it has heretofore been necessary to rearrange the rows and the springs thereof to fit within a border wire of the desired shape. By means of my invention, however, the standard rectangular or square unit can be changed to one having an outline other than square or rectangular in a comparatively simple and easymanner and at the place where the spring unit is upholstered to form the cushion.

As shown, this is done by adding a marginal frame wire as Hi to the unit, shaping said. wire'to the desired outline and securing it to the border wire by means of suitable clips as IT. As best shown in Fig. l, the auxiliary frame wire [6 may be made of any shapedesired, being illustrated as of arcuate shape at one side of the unit as at E8 and of substantially trapezoidal shape as at ii on an adjacent side or edge of the unit. It will be understood, however, that the wire l6 may be given corresponding polygonal, arcuate, elliptical or any other desired shape at the parts g and i8 thereof to form an auxiliary frame on the unit of the shape required. A similar auxiliary frame wire i9 may be provided, if desired, at the bottom of the cushion by securing it to the bottom border wire l5, and being similar to the wire it need not be further described. Howthereby to secure the frame place.

ever, it will be understood that the auxiliary frame wire at the bottom of the cushion may be omitted, if desired, and the cushion made with sloping marginal walls so that only the top of the cushion is of the shape required and the bottom of the cushion is of the standard shape. When both auxiliary frames l6 and I9 are used, the top and bottom of the resulting cushion are of the same shape.

Preferably, though not necessarily, the frame wire I6 is bent for part of its length into contact with the rounded corners 20 of the border wire I3, being in that case provided with a curved portion 2| conforming to the shape of the portion 20 of said border wire. A straight part 22 of the frame wire is provided adjacent a correspondingstraight part of the border wire, said straight parts being secured together by the clip ll. Said clip may easily be bent into securing position at the upholsterers where the cushion is completed by means of a simple tool such as a pliers.

For imparting rigidity and stiffness to the auxiliary frame wire so that it cannot'become dislocated or distorted during use of the cushion, I prefer to provide easily assembled but adequate and efiicient bracing means for said auxiliary frame wire. Said bracing means 23 is preferably made of a single length of wire having a straight intermediate portion 24 and terminating in an S- shaped portion 25 at one end and in a bent portion 26 at the other end. As best seen in Fig. 2, the S-shaped portion 25 is hooked into the coil 21 next succeeding the top coil 28 of one of the marginal springs with the bent 29 of the portion 25 inside of said coil 21 and tending to pull said coil away from the end 26. The bend 30 of the portion 25 is arranged outside of and in contact with the top coil 28 and tends to press said coil toward the end 26. Part of the straight portion .24 extends diametrically across the top coil and past the border wire 13 up to the auxiliary frame wire [6. The bent portion 26, which may be bent by hand or with a pair of pliers into position wherein the frame [6 contacts therewith is clipped to said frame by means of the clips 31' I6 adequately in It will be noted that the bends 29 and 30 are oppositely disposed, that is, they are curved in .opposite directions and that the coil 21 is pulled in one direction by the bend 29 while the top coil .28 is urged in the opposite direction by the bend .30. r

f 'The distance between said bends 29 and 30 is slightly less than the normal distance between corr-esponding points of the coils 2'! and 28 to accomplish this result. Said coils resist movement of the bracing member in a direction transverse of the length thereof owing to the friction there- 'by developed and the spring action of the coils.

To aid in preventing displacement of the bracing member 23, a suitable hog ring 32 is provided at ;the point of intersection of the bracing member with the border wire to tie said member to the .border wire and hold them against relative movelength of the straight portion thereof corresponds .to the distance which the auxiliary frame 9 is spaced from the border wire.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a simple, though easily assembled and efficient, means for changing the shape of the outline of an inner spring unit to correspond to the shape of the cushion desired; that the bracing means included therein is quickly and easily assembled by comparatively unskilled persons and ordinary tools and that a structure is thereby provided well adapted to meet the requirements of practical use.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention, it will be under-- stood that various changes may be made therein Without departing from the spirit of the invention and coming within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a spring structure of generally rectangular outline including marginal springs, of means for changing said outline to one other than rectangular comprising a shaped auxiliary frame wire, means securing the frame wire to the structure and means for bracing the frame wire comprising a bracing wire having an S-shaped portion consisting of two oppositely directly spaced bends, one of said bends engaging and arranged outside of an outermost coil of a marginal spring and the other engaging and arranged inside of another coil of the spring, a straight portion extending across said outermost coil and beyond the spring structure and a bent terminal portion secured to the frame wire.

2. In a spring structure having marginal coil springs joined by a border wire of one shape, an auxiliary frame wire of a different shape arranged at least in part in outward spaced relation to the border wire, clips securing the wires together and a bracing member having a hook portion at one end engaging two coils of a marginal coil spring and extending thereacross and having a bent end secured to the auxiliary frame wire.

3. In a spring structure having upright marginal coil springs and a border wire secured to the end coils of said marginal springs, an auxiliary frame wire secured to the border wire and in varying spaced relation thereto, a wire bracing member having an S-shaped hook at one end passing outside of the outer part and around the side edge and in engagement with the end coil of one of said marginal coil springs and passing inside of the next succeeding coil of said one spring and thereby held frictionally to said one spring and extending across the border wire, said hook lying in one plane, a bent end part at the other end of the bracing member lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to said one plane, and means securing said other end of the bracing member to a portion of the auxiliary frame wire spaced from said border wire.

4. In a spring structure, marginal coil springs, a border wire secured to the end coils of the marginal springs, an auxiliary frame wire in part spaced from the border wire and in part secured in contact therewith, and a bracing wire member extending diametrically across the end coil of a marginal spring and having an intermediate straight portion, and S-shaped end portion arranged in a substantially vertical plane hooked about and in engagement with the side edges of a pair of consecutive coils of said marginal spring and a bent end portion arranged in a plane perpendicular to that of said vertical plane secured to a portion of the auxiliary frame wire spaced from said border wire.

ABRAHAM KRAKAUER. 

